Roller-skate



(No Model.)

J. S. RICHARDSON.

ROLLER SKATE. No. 301,522. Patented July 8, 1884.

LEWQM VZMW MEKW Z emf; l/\ k UNITED STATES PATENT @Fl lGEe JOHN S.RICHARDSON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROLLER-SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,522, dated July 8,188%.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN S. Rrcnnnnson, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Roller- Skates, of which the following is adescription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable-any personskilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a sideelevation of my improved skate, certain portions being shown in section;Fig. 2, a bottom plan View of the heel; Fig. 3, a rear end elevation;Fig. 4, a sectional side elevation; Fig. 5, a view of the platedetached; Fig. 6, a sectional view showing the plate in position; Fig.7, an isometrical perspective view of the j ournal-box detached, andFig. 8 a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings. 7

My invention relates exclusively to the class of skates known asroller-skates, and it con sists in a novel construction and arrangementof the parts, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, by which amore desirable and efficient article of this character is produced thanis now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all con versant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the skate; B, the heel'strap;C, the toe-strap; D, the rollers or trucks, and N the axle, all of theseparts being constructed of any suitable materials and in the usual form.A bifurcated bracket, E, is secured to the under side of the heelportion of the body A by the screws 90, said bracket being extendedforward to form the plate T, which is provided on its lower side withthe socket or groove f.

Disposed beneath the bracket E there is a double-armed lever, G, one ofits arms being pivoted in the forks of said bracket at z, and the otherextending forward and terminating in the plate H, which is provided onits upper side with the groove or socket Z, and corresponds with theplate '1', arranged immediately above it. A stout coiled spring, J, isdisposed between the plates 1' H, its upper end resting in the socket fand its lower end in the socket l, the spring acting expansively toforce the plates apart, and being held in position by the screw R, whichpasses upwardly through a slot, i, in the plate H, and is screwed intothe plate r and body A. The central portion of the lever G is enlarged,and preferably formed square, and is provided with a square hole ormortise, m, extending entirely through it from side to side. Disposed inthis mortise there is an axle-box, L, provided with a hole, h, forreceiving the axle N, and a chamber, y, for holding cotton -waste or anyother suitable material for absorbing and retaining the oil with whichthe axle is lubricated. A transversely-arranged knife-edge flange orfulcrum, 15, projects from the upper side of the box L, said flangefitting into a corresponding notch or groove, 0., in the top or ceilingof l the mortise m.

Passing upwardly through the bottom of the lever G into the mortise atthere are two screws, 11, adapted to force the box L upwardly in saidmortise and keep the fulcrum or flange I) in the groove a. The fulcrumZ) is higher than the depth of the groove 0, so that the box may beracked or tilted longitudinally when the screws o are properly adjusted,the screws preventing the fulcrum from escaping from the groove. The boxL is somewhat narrower than the width of the mortise m, and to keep itproperly in place and compensate for any wear that may occur in use aplate, T, is employed, which is placed at one side of the box in themortise and prevented from escaping by a lip or overhanging projection,j, at either end, the plate being provided with a set-screw, Y, forforcing it against the box L. The screws '0 are not turned in to thefullest extent when the skate is in use, but only as far as maybenecessary to prevent the fulcrum or flange b from escaping from thenotch or groove 01, and at the same time permit the body of the skate tobe rocked laterally on said fulcrum, as desired.

The lever G is so constructed and arranged that a vertical line drawnthrough its pivotal IOC support or center of motion at 2, when the bodyA is in a horizontal position, will pass at one side, or a shortdistance to the rear, of the central axial line of the rollers or trucksD, so that when the skate is in use the pressure at the heel of the samewill be divided between the pivot z and spring J, in a manner which willbe readily obvious without a more explicit description. 1

The description given of the bracket E, lever G, spring J, and theirimmediately-com nected parts at the heel of the skate also applies tocorresponding parts disposed at the toe of the skate, but arranged inreverse order, the plate 1" of the bracket E and the plate H of thelever G at the heel of the skate project'- ing toward the toe of thebody A, and the plate r of the bracket E and plate H of the lever G atthe toe of the skate projecting to ward the heel as shown in Fig. '1.The object of the springs J is to yieldingly resistthe approach of therollers toward the body A when the skate is in use, and thereby relievethe disagreeable jarring sensation produced by surface, and also toprevent the sudden shock produced when walking or running on the skates.The springs also enable the skater to make the stroke with greater ease,and throw himself forward or backward to a greater dis tance, than ispossible with skates of the ordinary construction.

It will be obvious that when the axle-boxes L or plates T become worn orbroken they may be easily replaced with but very slight expense; also,that the axles may be kept lubricated by means of an absorbent saturatedwith oil and disposed in the chambers 31 of the boxes without danger ofoiling the other parts of the skate or getting the oil onto the floor.

Ido not confine myself to the use of a spring acting expansively, orarranged precisely as described for resisting the approach of the axletoward the body of the skate when the skateis under pressure or' in use,as a spring acting contractively may be employed in connection withother necessary appliances and perform substantially the same functions.Neither do I confine myself to locating either or both of the springsbetween the rear and forward axles, as shown, although I deem thispreferable; or to the use of straps for fastening the body to the footof the wearer; or to the use of an axle-box in the lever, as the axlemay be fitted into a hole passing through the lever, or beimmovably castinto the lever, as preferred, other means for rocking the body of theskate being provided. One pair of the rollers may also be journaled in apivoted lever and provided with a'spring, as described,

. and the other attached in any ordinary manner, although it ispreferable to have both pairs of the rollers mounted and arranged as.shown.

Having thusnexplained my invention, what Y I claim is.

1. In aroller skate, the lever G, bracket E, spring J, axle N, rollersD, screw B, and body A, combined and arranged to operate substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a roller-skate, the axle-box L, provided with the fulcrum orflange b, in combination with the lever G, provided with the mortise m,notch or groove a, and screws 12, substantially as set forth.

3. In a roller-skate, the plate T, in combination with the boxL andscrew Y, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a roller-skate,vthe axle-boxL,.provid'- ed with the hole It andchamber g substa-u- 8o tially as andfor the purpose set forth.

JOHN S. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

O. A. SHAW, L. J. WVHITE.

